US Tax Calendar 2025–2026

If you owe tax and do not file by April 15, you face a failure-to-file penalty (5% of unpaid tax per month, up to 25%) plus interest. If you file an extension (Form 4868) by April 15, the filing deadline moves to October 15 with no penalty — but you still need to pay estimated tax by April 15 to avoid late-payment penalties.

You generally need to pay quarterly estimated taxes if you expect to owe at least $1,000 when you file your annual return and your withholding plus refundable credits will cover less than 90% of your current-year tax liability (or 100% of the prior-year liability). This applies to self-employed individuals, freelancers, independent contractors, and anyone with significant non-wage income.

A filing extension (Form 4868) gives you until October 15 to submit your return, but it does not extend the time to pay. You must estimate and pay any tax due by April 15. If you do not pay by April 15, you will owe interest and may incur a late-payment penalty even if you filed the extension.

Yes. State tax returns are filed separately with each state's department of revenue. While most states use your federal AGI as the starting point, each state has its own forms, deadlines, and rules. Most states with a state income tax follow the federal April 15 deadline, but some have different dates.

Self-employed individuals typically need: Form 1040 (individual return), Schedule C (business profit/loss), Schedule SE (self-employment tax), Form 1040-ES (quarterly estimated tax), and if you have employees — Form 941 (quarterly payroll) and Form 940 (annual FUTA). You should receive 1099-NEC forms from clients who paid you $600+ during the year.

The FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is due April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15. It is filed electronically through the BSA E-Filing System, not with your tax return. US persons with foreign financial accounts totaling more than $10,000 at any time during the calendar year must file.

You need to file Form 709 if you made gifts to any one person exceeding the annual exclusion amount ($18,000 per recipient for 2024, $19,000 for 2025). Gifts to spouses, political organizations, and direct payment of medical or tuition expenses are generally excluded. Form 709 is due by April 15, the same as your individual return.

You can contribute to a Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or Health Savings Account (HSA) for the 2025 tax year up until the April 15, 2026 filing deadline. This is separate from the tax return itself — you can make contributions even if you filed an extension.